Fighters who changed their style for the worse, while still in their prime

Some excellent points. Perhaps one could throw Michael Moorer in there on some level. It's a funny argument with Moorer, really. Does he stay puncher and fall to his liabilities? Does he stay boxer as he tried to do in late-93 and '94 and NOT tighten-up his head movement and defense...and fall to his liabilities?

 

Well, Foreman should never have won their fight, but Moorer was not taking instruction well at all. Probably down to his mental problems, similar to Jack Sharkey who could box superbly well, tight n' neat and then go from that to spitting out the dummy and slugging in scrappy fashion.

 

It can be reasonably be argued that Foreman never should have landed the fight.

 

Roy Jones looked very normal against Antonio Tarver

 

Edwin Rosario abandoned his skills for more emphasis on unskilled banging.

Simon Brown went from rangey, McCallum-esque boxer-puncher to an unimaginative plodding slugger\fighter who just liked to load up on powershots.

Honeyghan started to think he was some sort of Henry Armstrong\arronpryr hybrid.

 

Which makes for a particularly interesting hypothesis; a guy who should not of had the chance, but wins, retrospectively validating the chance he should not of got in the first place...

How many other fighters would a fan have beating a guy that they are a clear underdog to?

 

tyson, went from a balance swamer to being a head hunter looking for 1 punch koes and effecitvely recieve the beating of his life against douglas.

 

the best example. he assumed he could 'curry' everyone after that.

well it worked against bumphus

 

Ricky Hatton changed it for Kostya Tsyzu out of necessity, then stuck with it for some bizarre reason

 

beat me to it

also Rikcky Hatton to an extent he went from boxer-puncher with clever pressure to some sort of mauler-wrestler

 

John Ruiz went from being a swarmer like Tyson to a hugger. His style did a complete 180 after he was KTFO by Tua.

Riddick Bowe abandonded his jab and became a right hand looping head hunter.

Evander Holyfield boxed beautifully from the outside and went to a mauling headbutter.

Lennox Lewis although he improved his style, was much more exciting to watch before the Mcall fight.

Pernell Whitaker, forced to stand and fight became a sitting duck with his lack of punching power

Arturro Gatti tried for a brief period to be a boxer uhuh

Zab Judah abandonded his offensive assault which consisted of very good combinations and movement.

Naseem Hamed got away from his elusive style and tried to be more a boxer puncher.

 

Gatti started as a tall boxer-puncher at SFW then started brawling. He then turned boxer to beat Tracy Harris Patterson.

He then went back to brawler then turned boxer again

 

Hector Camacho. After the Rosario fight, He went from an all out action fighter to a master hugger.

 

Edwin Rosario, definitely.